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News | 3 min read

GRP receives four excellence awards from IEDC

September 21, 2011

Richmond, VA โ€“The Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc., a regional economic development organization, received four awards for excellence in economic development and communications from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).

The IEDC honors were presented at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, September 20 during the IEDC Annual Conference, September 18-21, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  The awards the Partnership received in the category for communities with populations of greater than 500,000 were:

  • Excellence in Economic Development Award for their Business First Greater Richmond in the category of Business Retention and Expansion
  • Excellence in Economic Development Award for their RichmondJobNet in the category of New Media
  • Excellence in Economic Development Award for their 2010 Year in Review: Headlines & Newsmakers in the category of General Purpose Brochure
  • Honorable Mention for Excellence in Economic Development for their Annual Report 2009-2010 in the category of Annual Brochure

IEDCโ€™s Excellence in Economic Awards Program annually recognizes the worldโ€™s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the yearโ€™s most influential leaders.  The program honors organizations and individuals in 28 categories for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities.

 โ€œWe recognize the Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc. for providing successful strategies to promote new paradigms in economic development in this period of global recovery,โ€ said Dennis Coleman, IEDC chair.  โ€œOur awards honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in communities. The Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc. is showing that they are at the forefront of the economic development profession and are using innovative and effective practices that can be replicated in other communities.”

โ€œTo have the work of our team recognized by IEDC is a high honor,โ€ said Gregory H. Wingfield, president and CEO of the Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc. โ€œThe role of our organization to promote Greater Richmondโ€™s pro-business message, support existing businesses, and retain and attract a talented workforce. In order to remain competitive, we strive to develop and implement innovative strategies and programs, as well as effective tools to support our mission.โ€

Since 1997, the Partnership has received 52 awards from international and regional organizations recognizing the team for its economic development work and innovative promotional tools.

Wingfield currently serves on the board of IEDC completing his four year term in December 2010.  Since the 1980s, Wingfield has served four terms on and off the IEDC board and its predecessor organizations, the Council of Urban Economic Development (CUED) and the American Economic Development Council (AEDC).

The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is the premier membership organization dedicated to helping economic development professionals create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities and improve the quality of life in their regions.ย  Serving more than 4,500 members, IEDC represents the largest network of economic development professionals in the world.ย  IEDC provides a diverse range of services, including conferences, certification, professional development, publications, research, advisory services and legislative tracking. For more information, visit iedconline.org.

The Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc. was launched in 1994 as a pioneering regional public-private initiative to serve as the regional economic development group for the City of Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico. The mission is to help grow the Greater Richmond economy through the attraction of high quality jobs and new capital investment, the retention of existing businesses, and the continued improvement of the region’s business climate. Since inception, the Partnership has played a key role in the attraction of more than $7.3 billion in investment by403 new and expanding companies. This is a return on investment of $164 for every $1 in funding provided by public and private partners since 1994.

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